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I have a friend (possibly a couple) coming over next Sunday. She used to watch Football back in the Marcus Allen era, which is when a lot of us got into Football. Anyway, firstly, does anyone know a good site for brushing up on the rules? I never know where to start when people ask. I end up meandering off into explanations about different types of D and so on.
Secondly, we wanted to do "authentic" Superbowl food. We are thinking of hot dogs and nachos and we'll try to find some Sam Adams or similar. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. BTW, she wants the Bears to win which I can live with.

Whatever you do, don't start a lengthy recitation of the rules when you're introducing Football to someone. Football, more than any other sport, is overloaded with complex rules that n00bs don't need to be aware of at first. Just remember, its WAR. The teams take turns trying to conquer each other until the clock reaches zero. Whoever conquers the most wins, unless the Colts are involved of course

That might well work. I could get it for her as a present, as it might encourage her (and her husband) to follow Football next year.

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Neither follow the game, wow, that will be tough.. have them come early tivo a game and explain some of the basics, but it is tough to figure out the NFL in one day. Maybe you can give them a primer of the sublteties of a two gap defense or the Tampa Two defense .. sometimes when I watch a game with friends and family, some don't know squat about football, and I find it extremely distracting. I like to share, but football time is selfish time.

As far as food goes we get the pillsbury dough and mini hot dogs and make mini pigs in a blanket.bbq pulled chicken as sometimes people are hungrier[ very simple roated chicken from a stop /shop pulled apart using fork and cooked in a pan with tangy bbq sauce with a hint of cumin,chilli powers ] with buns,chips-dips and chicken wings with a very spicy sauce.

I have a friend (possibly a couple) coming over next Sunday. She used to watch Football back in the Marcus Allen era, which is when a lot of us got into Football. Anyway, firstly, does anyone know a good site for brushing up on the rules? I never know where to start when people ask. I end up meandering off into explanations about different types of D and so on.
Secondly, we wanted to do "authentic" Superbowl food. We are thinking of hot dogs and nachos and we'll try to find some Sam Adams or similar. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. BTW, she wants the Bears to win which I can live with.

Food-wise, you can't go wrong with home-made burgers and some tasty relish (Jamie Oliver has a good recipe in one of his books), nachos and guacamole. But who wants to eat that much at 2 in the morning?

So who is covering the Superbowl in old Blighty? Is it on ITV? I remember them having Gabby Logan, Martin Johnson and Dhani Jones who were all fine. The killer is the "international" commentary team ...

I have a friend (possibly a couple) coming over next Sunday. She used to watch Football back in the Marcus Allen era, which is when a lot of us got into Football. Anyway, firstly, does anyone know a good site for brushing up on the rules? I never know where to start when people ask. I end up meandering off into explanations about different types of D and so on.
Secondly, we wanted to do "authentic" Superbowl food. We are thinking of hot dogs and nachos and we'll try to find some Sam Adams or similar. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. BTW, she wants the Bears to win which I can live with.

I have a friend (possibly a couple) coming over next Sunday. She used to watch Football back in the Marcus Allen era, which is when a lot of us got into Football. Anyway, firstly, does anyone know a good site for brushing up on the rules? I never know where to start when people ask. I end up meandering off into explanations about different types of D and so on.
Secondly, we wanted to do "authentic" Superbowl food. We are thinking of hot dogs and nachos and we'll try to find some Sam Adams or similar. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. BTW, she wants the Bears to win which I can live with.

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If you can get the concept of a first down across and understood by, oh, the end of the first quarter, consider yourself ahead of the game.

Food-wise, you can't go wrong with home-made burgers and some tasty relish (Jamie Oliver has a good recipe in one of his books), nachos and guacamole. But who wants to eat that much at 2 in the morning?

So who is covering the Superbowl in old Blighty? Is it on ITV? I remember them having Gabby Logan, Martin Johnson and Dhani Jones who were all fine. The killer is the "international" commentary team ...

Cheers, Mike

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Nice one. Miss GC can probably dig out the burgers recipe. My friend is Welsh so there is a good chance that she won't be in the best of moods by Sunday evening....
It is indeed ITV with the "international" feed. I can't wait.

If you can get the concept of a first down across and understood by, oh, the end of the first quarter, consider yourself ahead of the game.

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LOL. I may take up GJA's suggestion of sitting down with them and showing a DVD of one of the Pats games from this year. Then I can go through penalties, 2 and 15 scenarios, Zone defences, blitzes etc etc. Oh, and given it's the Colts playing, I should get them trained to boo every time he comes on to the field.
Miss Gcat is probably going to watch and she is still at the basic stage. She glazes over when I go on about cover 2, the difference between SS and FS and so on. It is really hard to get it right.

GCat, I know a lot of the guys here are being extremely polite about it, and it's not a very good advertisement for US football fans internationally, but probably you should make the women aware of the somewhat chauvinistic expectations that we apply in real-life American super bowl parties (not the sanitized beer commercial ones.)

First of all, the women are expected to dress in heels and thongs for the occasion, though a mesh jersey is optionally accepted for the upper body, in deference to the sporting event.

Secondly, they're expected to watch for empty glasses, and pick them up the moment the beer is gone. Almost as importantly, they're expected to avoid being in direct line of sight between the screen and the menfolk, crawling if necessary to get by.

Thirdly, well, we'll just call it "half-time." Use your imagination.

Again, these are not traditions I am particularly proud of, given that we could end up with a horrible reputation overseas for all sorts of isms and the like, but I've done an informal poll around the office, and the above is pretty much the "ideal" model of an authentic American Super Bowl Party.

GCat, I know a lot of the guys here are being extremely polite about it, and it's not a very good advertisement for US football fans internationally, but probably you should make the women aware of the somewhat chauvinistic expectations that we apply in real-life American super bowl parties (not the sanitized beer commercial ones.)

First of all, the women are expected to dress in heels and thongs for the occasion, though a mesh jersey is optionally accepted for the upper body, in deference to the sporting event.

Secondly, they're expected to watch for empty glasses, and pick them up the moment the beer is gone. Almost as importantly, they're expected to avoid being in direct line of sight between the screen and the menfolk, crawling if necessary to get by.

Thirdly, well, we'll just call it "half-time." Use your imagination.

Again, these are not traditions I am particularly proud of, given that we could end up with a horrible reputation overseas for all sorts of isms and the like, but I've done an informal poll around the office, and the above is pretty much the "ideal" model of an authentic American Super Bowl Party.

Good luck,

PFnV

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When you read about the brutal murder of an Englishman by two women at a Superbowl Party in Bromley, Kent, you will know that I took up your suggestion.